Eight South Floridians have been charged with conducting numerous staged accidents connected to auto insurance fraud rings, the state’s chief financial officer announced Tuesday.
Florida officials, including CFO Jeff Atwater, have claimed that fraud has been in part responsible for rates growing by $1 billion for no-fault — personal injury protection — auto insurance coverage.
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The staged auto crashes linked with the eight individuals resulted in more than $340,000 in fraudulent auto insurance claims, according to Atwater’s office.
Alexander Cid, 47; Luis Rivero Dominguez, 35; Franklyn Chaviano, 38; Robert E Bayona, 55; Carlos Padron Fernandez, 38; Yosmel Ramos Peraza, 24; Andres Vega Fleites, 61; and Jorge Fernandez Rodriguez, 52, have been charged for participating in staged wrecks linked with six separate fraud rings, acting as organizers or drivers, between May 2009 and May 2011, according to an investigation by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud.
“I am proud of the fight we won this past legislative session to reform Florida’s personal injury protection system, but this does not mean we can rest,” Atwater stated in a release. “We must continue to remain diligent in our efforts to stop this type of fraud so that Florida drivers are protected.”
The state division has entered a partnership with the Florida Highway Patrol to investigate staged accidents in the Miami and Tampa areas.
